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Former miners march for their homes in Oulton

MINERS’ union banners will fly again in Yorkshire next week when a protest is held against the planned demolition of former pitmen’s homes to make way for a luxury housing development.

Seventy houses at Oulton, near Leeds, could be knocked down after being taken over by Worcester-based property developer Pemberstone Group.

Following privatisation of the remains of the coal industry by the Tories in 1993, tens of thousands of miners’ homes previously owned by the National Coal Board were sold off.

The Oulton residents – who include former mineworkers and widows of miners – want Labour-run Leeds City Council to take over ownership of the houses.

They and their supporters will march through Oulton on Thursday.

The residents have the backing of the National Union of Mineworkers and Leeds-based campaign group Hands off our Homes.

NUM national secretary Chris Kitchen said: “We will be there with some of our lads and our union banners.

“This is just another example of private profit being put before people’s needs. These are not the principles we live by.”

Britain’s last deep coal mine, Kellingley in Yorkshire, closed on December 18, 2015, leaving millions of tons of coal underground.

The country imports more than 50 million tons a year for electricity generation.

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